Woman held at knifepoint in Tyro, deputies allege

Monday

Feb 18, 2013 at 1:56 PM

A Salisbury man faces a pair of robbery charges among others after Davidson County sheriff's deputies allege he robbed a woman of her medications and cash and threatened to kill her cat Sunday night in the Tyro community.

BY DARRICK IGNASIAKThe Dispatch

A Salisbury man faces a pair of robbery charges among others after Davidson County sheriff's deputies allege he robbed a woman of her medications and cash and threatened to kill her cat Sunday night in the Tyro community.Rodney Scott Earnhardt, 40, of 8770 Castor Road, has been charged with two counts of felony robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of communicating threats, forcible trespass, interfering with emergency communications and impersonating a law enforcement officer. Earnhardt was placed in the Davidson County Detention Center under a $50,000 secured bond and was given a court date of March 11.Davidson County sheriff's deputies responded to a robbery call on High Bluff Drive about 10 p.m.Deputies arrived and spoke with the 39-year-old woman and conducted their investigation. They would later find out that a man had entered the woman's residence and robbed her at knifepoint, according to a sheriff's office news release.Sheriff David Grice alleged Earnhardt entered the residence and took pills from the victim before exiting the home and then immediately came back and demanded money.According to arrest warrants, Earnhardt took 30 dosage units each of Xanax, Adderall and Vicodin. The court document further stated that Earnhardt held a knife to the woman's neck and threatened her to give him her medications. The deputy wrote in the arrest warrant that Earnhardt held a knife to the woman's throat and called someone on the phone and stated, "I'm gonna need help cleaning up a body."Additionally, arrest warrants stated that Earnhardt took $230 in cash from the woman, and Earnhardt threatened to kill the woman's cat with a knife if she didn't give him her money.Earnhardt cut all landlines to the victim's house, a deputy wrote in an arrest warrant. He also used an electronic application that disclosed his telephone number as the Davidson County sheriff's office's public number and told the woman by calling her cell phone and telling her that he was a deputy checking on a disturbance call at the residence, all of which was done in the presence of a deputy, according to arrest warrants.Grice said Earnhardt and the woman are acquaintances. He said the woman identified Earnhardt, leading to his arrest.No injuries were reported.Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or at darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.